


Burgers and Spies

by marawinchester (crazygirlattemptswriting)



Category: Person of Interest (TV), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-27
Updated: 2013-06-27
Packaged: 2017-12-16 09:10:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/860428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazygirlattemptswriting/pseuds/marawinchester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Harold run into Clint and Natasha at a restaurant one day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burgers and Spies

“I was gone for a week,” John comments as he walks with Harold and Bear past a wrecked building. “One week. And they're still cleaning up the damage months later.”

Harold shrugs. “What did you expect, John? I've told you our work is important.”

“Yeah, important,” John echoes as he spares one last glance at the ruins. He pulls open the restaurant's door and holds it for Harold and Bear. “Still, I'm pretty sure that aliens are a bit out of our jurisdiction.”

Harold shrugs. “I'm sure you would've held your own, Mr. Reese. Some of those 'Avengers' didn't have any special powers and they still did well.”

John's mouth quirks up. “Yes,” he murmurs. “I saw some footage of the battle. Black Widow and Hawkeye did admirably.” 

Harold looks at him sideways, like he suspects something, but he doesn't comment. They order their food and wait. John picks a corner booth where he has a view of both exits. 

“I have to admit, the whole experience has made appreciate superheroes, Iron Man in particular, more,” Harold says, picking up their conversation from earlier. “I never liked living in the same city as Tony Stark until now.”

“What's the matter, Harold? Worried he'll upstage you as the best genius in New York City?” John asks jokingly.

Harold gives him a look. “No. I'm worried he'll discover the existence of the Machine or invent his own. He's already invented something similar, with his JARVIS.”

John thinks of the operative they saved a few weeks back, Shaw, who also worked for the Machine. “There are already others who know about the Machine.”

“Yes,” Harold agrees, “but they keep it a secret. If Stark discovered the Machine's existence it'd become common knowledge within a day.”

John is about to reply when the diner's door opens. He feels a grin spread across his face as he sees the man and woman who enter. 

“What? Who is it?” Harold asks, craning his neck to see who John is looking at. 

“No one,” John tells him as the waiter arrives with their food. “Now, eat your salad.” Harold looks unconvinced, but dutifully digs into his salad. John is pleased. At first, Harold hadn't wanted to eat after the mess with Root. Now, he's back to normal. With the help of Bear, of course. John pats the dog's head and sneaks him some of his burger as John glances over at the counter where the man and woman are now ordering their food.

“John! Don't spoil him!” Harold scolds.

John laughs. The man glances his way and then comes back for a second look. John grins at him. Sunglasses block his eyes, but John can tell he recognizes him because he smiles back. He whispers something to his red-headed companion who glances John's way and smiles too. 

“Who are they?” Harold asks quietly.

“Old friends,” John murmurs, watching as Clint makes his way over to their table. 

“Last I'd heard you were dead,” he begins conversationally.

“I still am, as far as anyone's concerned,” John says warningly. 

He nods, getting the message. “It's good to see you, John.”

John smiles. “It's good to see you too, Clint. Almost as good as seeing you on TV, Mr. Superhero.”

Clint winces while Harold sucks in a breath.

“Ah yes, introductions. Clint, this is my friend Harold. Harold, this is my old friend Clint Barton, better known as Hawkeye.”

“Shove it, Reese,” Clint mutters. “I could shoot you right now.” 

John grins. “I don't see your bow and arrow in sight, Barton.” 

Natasha strolls up then, carrying a to-go bag. Clint throws an arm around her waist. “That's why I brought her along, for protection.” She steps on his foot and he winces. “Oww, okay, okay, I love you too.” 

“Hey, John,” she greets him warmly.

“Hi, Tasha,” he says with a smile. “You're still hanging around with this loser?”

She puts the food down on the table and rests an elbow on Clint's shoulders. “Yeah, after awhile he grows on you. And after you fight off an alien army together, well, you're practically best friends for life.”

“Practically?” Clint questions, looking at her. 

She smiles at him teasingly. “Yeah, Clint, practically.” He smiles back before turning to John.

“So what's new with you, John?”

“Well,” he says, “being dead didn't agree with me, so here I am, still kicking.”

They both laugh, and Harold smiles at him over his salad. 

“You always were one of the best,” Natasha says. “We wouldn't have survived Budapest without you.”

John raises an eyebrow. “You give me too much credit. I certainly couldn't have gotten out of there alive without you two covering me.”

Clint shrugs. “It was a joint effort between all of us. Speaking of which, we could use you on the Avengers team.” John hides his smile behind his drink. Harold chokes on a piece of lettuce. Bear whines and paws at him.

“I'll just take the dog out,” Harold says after he recovers from his coughing fit. “You can then make the rest of your probably classified pitch to John. Come on, Bear,” he calls to the dog as he stands. “It was nice meeting you both.” He shakes first Clint's hand, and then Natasha's.

“He seems nice,” Natasha observes as Harold leaves. Clint grunts in agreement and slides into Harold's vacated seat. “Scoot,” Natasha says before sitting next to him. 

“He's a very nice man,” John tells them. “He's actually my current employer.”

“Really?” Natasha looks intrigued. “He doesn't look like he's in our line of work.”

“Neither does Coulson, really,” Clint points out. “So does this mean you're not interested in the offer to work for S.H.I.E.D.?”

John shakes his head. “No, not really. I've gotten screwed over by enough acronyms already.”

“But the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division is different,” Clint says, warming up to the topic. “We-”

“Save it, Clint,” Natasha interrupts as she watches John's face. “John's not interested.” 

He smiles. “Oh, I don't know. I hear Clint's recruitment speeches are very inspiring. It worked for you, didn't it?”

Her smile is brittle. “Yeah, well, I'm just special.”

“Touché,” he says, raising his glass to her. Her face becomes serious.

“Clint is right about the fact we could use you, though.”

“I'm not-”

“I know you're not interested. I'm not saying you work with us on an official or permanent basis. I'm saying that when we're in a spot of trouble and you're in the area, we'll give you a call. We'll do the same for you, of course.”

John mulls it over. “Yeah, I can do that. I usually stick around New York, though, just so you know.”

“Oh, I know,” Natasha assures him.

John frowns. “How do you know?”

Clint turns to her in confusion. “Yeah, how do you know? I didn't even know he was here.”

Natasha's eyes are glittering. “I keep up with the news of New York. I've heard about 'The Man in the Suit', the vigilante who's been saving people all over town.”

Clint snorts. “And I thought Hawkeye was a lame-ass name.”

John shrugs. “I didn't choose the name. Besides, I don't have any superpowers, what could they call me?”

“Join S.H.I.E.D. and they'll pick an animal name for you,” Clint says helpfully. “Maybe Gray Wolf or something?”

“I think they should call you Silver Fox,” Natasha says seriously. Clint pretends to look offended until Natasha gives him a quick kiss on the cheek.

John has to laugh. “What, is it your guys' day off or something? I've never seen you act like this.”

“Yeah,” Clint admits as he lays his arm across the back of the booth. “It's our day off. We're having a picnic in the park, and later we're going to see an action movie and make fun of the inaccuracies.”

John nods knowingly. “Ahh, that's always a fun pastime.”

Natasha shrugs. “Better than seeing some chick-flick.”

John spies Harold re-entering the restaurant and looking at him for permission to come back over. “Oh I don't know about that. Some chick-flicks are pretty great. Hey, I can call my boss back over now, right?”

“Of course,” they both say, so John waves him over. 

“We should be going anyway,” Natasha says as she glances at the clock.

“Don't leave on my account,” Harold says as he sits down next to John. 

“Of course not,” Natasha assures him. “We also won't steal away your employee unless it's absolutely necessary.”

Harold glances at him. 

“I said I'd help them occasionally, and in return they'll help us when we need it,” John clarifies. Harold nods.

“That sounds like a good idea. Although, I must admit, I'm confused as to why you'd need Mr. Reese when you have a band of superheroes at your disposal.”

Natasha and Clint look at each other and shrug.

“Superheroes have egos,” Natasha clarifies.

“And John does not,” Clint adds. “Besides, it'll be like old times.”

“Well, just call me up the next time there's an alien invasion,” John says, only half-joking. 

“Will do,” Natasha says seriously. “See you around, John. Nice meeting you,” she says with a nod towards Harold. Natasha kneels down by Bear and pets his head. “And goodbye to you,” she says in Dutch. Bear barks and licks her face. She laughs.

“Goodbye Tasha, goodbye Clint,” John tells them.

Clint grins. “See you, John. He holds out a hand, and they do the lame handshake they invented in Budapest, the one John tried to forget. “Bye Harold.”

“Goodbye,” Harold says. Clint grabs the bag of food and Natasha takes his other hand. They stroll out of the restaurant, laughing and talking.

“They make a nice couple,” Harold observes. John smiles.

“Yeah, they do. You should have seen them in Budapest. After the mission I finally just locked them in a motel room together and told them to go for it because I was sick of them flirting over the earpieces.”

Harold smiles to himself.

“What?” John asks.

“Nothing,” Harold says, still smiling. “I was just thinking about how I considered locking you and Ms. Morgan into a room together. Luckily, you two got there on your own, because I'm pretty sure I couldn't force either of you to do anything.”

“Oh, I don't know, Harold. You can be pretty devious sometimes. You could probably trick us into being in the same room.”

“Hmm,” Harold muses while John takes a sip of his lemonade. “Could I possibly trick you two into going on a double date with Ms. Romanova and Mr. Barton?”

John sputters on his lemonade. “What?” 

Harold shrugs. “I'm sure S.H.I.E.L.D could use someone like Ms. Morgan, if she was interested in working for them. I thought it'd be a great way to introduce her to them. Also, I'd like her opinion on them and how much we can tell them. And, it'd let you get out and have some fun for once.” Harold frowns. “Why else would I suggest it?”

“N-no reason,” John tells him. “Yeah, I bet they'd love someone like Zoe. I don't know though....she's busy, I'm busy...I haven't seen her since that hotel maid number.” He smiles to himself. “That was a good case.”

“Well it just so happens I have her number-phone number,” Harold quickly clarifies, “right here. I assume you know how to get in contact with your friends?” He hands a slip of paper with a phone number jotted down to John.

“Yeah,” John says as he stares at the slip in his hand. “They're easy enough to find now that they're with S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“Good,” Harold says briskly. “Just tell me what night you set up, and I'll have Detectives Carter and Fusco take care of any numbers that come up that day.”

“Thanks, Harold,” John says gratefully. 

Harold shrugs. “Our work is certainly important, but too much work isn't healthy.”

“What about you?” John inquires. 

Harold smiles. “What do you think my walks with Bear are?” Bear perks up at his name, and John scratches his ears. 

“True,” John says, “but we still have to get you out more.”

“We are out right now,” Harold points out. “Now, eat your greasy heart attack of a burger. The Machine will probably put your number on the list for ordering such a thing.”

John laughs and takes a bite of his burger. Maybe later he'll give Zoe a call and make a double date with Clint and Natasha. Right now, he'll just enjoy lunch with his best friend and their dog. It's the simple things in life, after all, that are worth fighting for, whether the fight is against corrupt cops, evil mobsters, or even aliens.

**Author's Note:**

> I may write a sequel to this, where they do go on their double date. Or maybe a prequel that tells what happened in Budapest with John.


End file.
